Butterflies, Moths, Dragonflies & Damselflies of Dayton, Ohio

DRAGONHUNTER

The first time I saw a Dragonhunter, the word that kept flashing through my brain was "magnificent."  This is one of our largest dragonflies. (Swamp Darners are slightly larger in wingspan and length, but Dragonhunters look much bulkier.) 

This is a female Dragonhunter. Compare her with the male above. Females have shorter, stouter abdomens by comparison. (But they are still very large dragonflies!) 

Dragonhunters are apex predators of the insect world; they feed on other dragonflies, large butterflies, and pretty much anything else they can catch. They have the lazy assurance of an apex predator that knows he is king of the hill and has nothing to fear.  

A Dragonhunter's long legs and heavy body make them look somewhat gangly and awkward when attempting to settle on a perch. 

Dragonhunters are widespread in our area. I find them at Germantown MetroPark, Twin Creek MetroPark, Glen Helen, Spring Lakes Park in Bellbrook, the Caesar Creek dam, Huffman MetroPark, along the Great Miami River, some of the Beaver Creek Wetlands parks, and several other locations.  

Dragonhunters fly from late May through September. I have one very late sighting on October 5th. 

Here is the apex predator at work: this Dragonhunter was preying on a Black Swallowtail at Huffman MetroPark. Dragonhunters are skillful enough to take down very large butterflies as prey. 

This female Dragonhunter ambushed a Monarch butterfly in a bed of weeds along the Great Miami River. Riverside meadows are the perfect hunting grounds for a Dragonhunter to snag a migrating Monarch. 

The individual at left is a male. He was swinging to and fro on a grass stem beside the river at Germantown MetroPark. 

Female Dragonhunters have extensive yellow shading along the sides of their abdomen.

This is a newly-emerged Dragonhunter at Taylorsville MetroPark on June 3, 2023. There were several teneral Dragonhunters emerging that day. Newly-emerged individuals are very greenish in color. 

This Dragonhunter was feasting on an American Rubyspot damselfly at Germantown MetroPark.